The crowd was spontaneous and the atmosphere, electric. Such was the mood on the 23rd of October at St. James Power Station, where the mundane nature of everyday work gave way to a light-heartedness that was present throughout the evening. It was the NDP 2008 Sponsorship Launch, an event that brought together members of EXCO 2008, sponsors, and potential sponsors alike.

Targeted at facilitating interaction between both the EXCO and sponsors, the launch set out in spectacular fashion. With loudspeakers blazing a refreshing mix of modern tunes and melodies of yesteryear, the crowd, consisting of representatives from a multitude of organisations, gradually streamed into the modestly sized “Dragonfly Room”. With the event only starting in the evening, the presence of slight fatigue would have been expected in any similar function elsewhere. Yet it was different this time round. This was entertainment in an uncommon yet vibrant fusion with work, and in an instant, whatever technicalities one had expected to discuss had changed to casual chatter.

Change and renewal was indeed the theme at the event – yes, NDP 2007 had been a success, but NDP 2008 would be more than a success; it would be one in which success was measured on the basis of change. Nowhere was this more manifest than in the change in venue. Used to sporting formal suits and meeting military personnel donned in regal uniform inside elegant hotels, guests were pleasantly surprised to see the transformed brick buildings of this year’s venue house the event. A former power station turned club, the mix of old and new that is St. James reflected the desire of the Guards Formation, organisers of NDP 2006, to make NDP 2008 one to remember, one that is unique.

Yet amidst the fun and laughter, one could see the pieces of NDP 2008 coming together in all that was discussed. Kicking off with a light-hearted video on the process of finding sponsors (featuring some talented actors from the Guards Formation itself) and a warm welcome both from Chairman EXCO 2008 and Chairman Sponsorship Committee. The guests and EXCO members discussed issues relating to sponsorship and NDP as a whole, accompanied by a free flow of drinks and entertainment all around.

Laughter and music rising up to the high ceilings of the “Dragonfly Room”, entertainment was surely in abundance that evening. However, as prominent as the entertainment was something else, something subtler yet no less reassuring: the forging of strong bonds between organiser and the sponsors, which lay the way for the journey ahead.